https://howlongtobeat.com/user/NowPercocet325mg
Also sent me a PM with a bunch of links... spam account

I nominate Farenheit / Indigo Prophecy

search the forum and ye will find (almost) the answers ye seek

I nominate: Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell

Finished the game today - clocked in at about ~18 hours in the end =)

Overall I really enjoyed playing System Shock (remake) as it was clear throughout why this is such an influential classic and how much it has inspired a huge number of immersive shooters that came later. The gameplay felt good (at least in the remake it did) and there was enough variety of enemies and weapons to keep things interesting, but what really sucked me in was the world building and level design. I love that the entire space station where the game takes place had been created and was essentially open to explore at all times. Of course, there are progress gates to allow for progression, but it really felt like I was able to explore and go anywhere I wanted.

Although, this is also the cause of my one big complaint about the game, as the endless backtracking did wear thin at times. On one hand, I loved that I'd end up in a position where I realised that I needed some code written on a wall from three floors below if I wanted to progress, but on the other hand I ran into a handful of occasions where I was almost completely unable to progress at all.

I mentioned on Discord about picking up the plastique early on and then dumping it somewhere random, which led to an arduous search to find where I'd randomly left them later on when I needed them to progress - something that could have easily been solved with a dispenser in the original location... even one you needed some credits for or something - but a method where you absolutely could not lose the key items needed! There were other examples as well, but that was the most annoying and I almost retired it at that point.

Ultimately though, I'm glad I got to finally focus on this game and play it - as it's clearly a stone cold classic (for better or worse). There are some systems that have been improved over time (inventory management being the first I can think of), but there are others that have been lost (level design in particular) - it's always fun playing an OG like this and seeing what all the fuss is about... definitely a good time.

I nominate Heavy Rain

I nominate:

purrgatory
SPÅRVAGN

replayed earlier in the week - copying this from discord

just did a replay of Portal with RTX - 1 hour 44 minutes - mostly remembered my way around, but had a couple of moments where I had to think a little

I still really enjoy Portal for what it is, but there's definitely some age showing in the engine (I mean, it's old now) even with the upgraded textures and RTX graphics - in fact, the best thing about the RTX version is the translucent surfaces, like the red buttons and the excursion tubes - they have some really nice lighting and refractions going on there.

ultimately though, it's hard to get mad at Portal - it has become a victim of its own success as we have all heard the memes and the jokes a million times over, so it feels very overplayed and dated - however, I can still remember the first time I played it, loved it, and was surprised and enchanted throughout - it's still a great game - even if it's overhyped and overplayed

I nominate Kena: Bridge of Spirits
Because it's dope as hell and I still need to finish it.

I nominate Blue Prince

and while knalb is indisposed - here's a link to my GOTM Collection if you want to see what's already won in past months =)

regular nom - Star Wars: Jedi Survivor

fool nom: Four Last Things

I just played through Turnip Boy in one sitting ~2hrs and got all the documents and two endings (one without all the docs, and one with them all - not sure if there are more??!)

I think I liked it a lot more than others have mentioned - I didn't find the humour off-putting at all, in fact I was surprised at how subdued it was given what has been said already - I thought I was in for a slapstick rompy type time, but it was more of a light hearted chuckle with a few little gags here and there

the gameplay was fineTM and passable enough - I'm glad it wasn't heaps longer because it might have become a bit tedious - but what's there was enjoyable and I like the progression throughout and the different little ways they changed things up during each area

for my money, this sure isn't a mind blowing game full of jaw dropping surprises - it feels like it's just the kind of game the devs were aiming to make - which is a small little fun story that isn't meant to be taken too seriously and doesn't overstay its welcome - and that worked for me

overall, I'm glad I sat down and played it, as I had a fun time and it was a good couple of hours 😄 👍

I nominate Road 96 for regular GotM...

... and the most excellent HuniePop for the 2015 extravaganza!

get another console if and when you can afford it and feel like trying something different

everyone will give you different opinions on what's better or worse but at the end of the day - have a look at the games and see what you prefer. I play primarily on PC, but also have a Xbox Series S and a PS5, which satisfy my console needs. PC isn't complicated unless you make it complicated (eg pirating software and emulating old stuff)... and if you're deciding between Xbox/Playstation I'd have a gander at the actual exclusives and see which ones interest you more... easy as that IMO.

and here's the obligatory wheel-spinning draft determination video

The most played section isn't displaying your completion times but the totally amount of time played. It uses progress if it's the highest value, otherwise it adds single player and co-op.

Anyway, only the categories that appear when checking completed (main, plus, 100 & speed runs) count towards HowLongToBeat times. It's a bit awkward because more games are fully co-op but I would put your time in single player and note that it was done in co-op. Maybe I could improve messaging, like Story/Campaign instead of single player but this was all designed 14 years ago when co-op and vs were extras to a single player campaign.

Co-op and Multi are really just to track optional time outside of campaigns. They are only prominently displayed when single player is toggled off. In that case, the data isn't even used to compare against your game list, only displayed on search and game pages to give a general idea how long players invest in those modes.

All that being said, I could also not include multiplayer in the calculations or only choose the highest one, everyone uses their fields differently.

Thanks for the explanation - can appreciate the thought process now and it works =)

Using something like "story/campaign" would help in this particular scenario, but then I think it would raise more confusion for other instances where it may not strictly be a "story" or "campaign" lol. Either way - I'm good with just noting the co-op/multi on the completion notes - makes perfect sense to me.

Thanks!

The 2025 draft is now live!

That's right we're kicking it off and picking the games for a brand new season. As always, there are a few simple rules to guide the draft process:
- Each pick has to be made within 24 hrs of the previous one (but realistically it's okay to take a little longer, especially if you communicate that you need more time).
- Autodraft is a good way to ensure you make your picks, especially if you're unsure of your availability.
- Feel free to ping the next player here on Discord with a friendly "@ hey it's your turn!"
- If you take too long and hold up the draft, then I will pick for you (kind of like an autodraft), so please always communicate if you need more time!

Other than that, I have the usual video of spinning the wheel for picks coming soon, but for now happy drafting!

Well, that time of year has come again and the 2024 season has come to a close!

The draft for 2025 will start in about 24 hours from this post (due to my availability), but for right now let's all put our hands together and congratulate @clumsy.penguin on their third win in a row!

Well done Rockhopper Rigmaroles you've done it again and handily secured the top spot with quite the lead of ~40 points ahead of second place :smile:

Let's all put our thinking caps on and see if we can topple the champ in 2025, but for now super congratulations again to @clumsy.penguin for winning the 2024 season!

A little thing I just noticed while looking at the year in review - apologies if this has already been highlighted...

Baldur's Gate III is displayed with 290h 44m, however my real completion time is half that - it looks like it's adding the "current progress" time to the completion time. Not sure if that's actually it, but there's definitely something wrong in the calculation somewhere =)

EDIT: I think I found the culprit - I also had it in the "co-op" time... which solves the previous question, but raises a new one....

What is the thinking behind putting in completions and co-op time?

My original thinking for BG3 (which I played through the campaign entirely in a co-op game), was that I have completed the game, and completed it in co-op, but if I just put in co-op time, it doesn't appear to act as a completion... or does it?

The completion page is a bit unclear on this =)

Additionally, I'd like to see a comment field for the multiplayer times, if these are actually meant to be used for completions.

I finally got around to playing through all the Itchmas games, so these are my thoughts:
(ranked in order of preference (number 1 being favourite of the group)

14: Delia: The Travelling Witch
I hate platformers, and the controls were pretty awful and floaty, so I did not like this platformer.
8:15, Retired

13: Pakke-Is
I really like the concept, but the unique controls didn't work for me and the whole experience felt clunky and slow.
15:01, Retired

12: Sheepy: A Short Adventure
I hate platformers, so this being above a game that isn't a platformer shows just how much I liked the overall visual and audio design.
17:50, Retired

11: Nightmare Kart
The amount of detail is impressive and I really like how the campaign follows the Bloodborne locations and story. At the end of the day though, it's a fairly boring and repetitive kart racer.
16:55, Retired

10: Arcane Beak
While this was a very small proof of concept, I really enjoyed the progression and gameplay. It's just a shame there weren't any twin-stick controls implemented, or this would have been even better.
11:36, Completed

9: Rental
It started strong and I enjoyed the aesthetic overall with the whole PS1 style game thing, but it was a bit janky in parts and the maze section was kind of boring.
16:03, Completed

8: | (pipe)
Fantastic concept and I loved the momentum building gameplay that encourages you to go fast and try things again and againa. Obviously a very short experience that is meant to be replayed many times. Not sure I'd play a whole game of it, but I liked what was in this little slice.
9:32, Completed about 3 or 4 runs.

7: A Good Gardener
At first I got a bit bored with this one and didn't complete it in one sitting. However, I went back the next day and finished off the story, which was well worth it. The gameplay does get repetitive and boring though, even if the overall experience is pretty good.
55:42, Completed

6: P.E. Noire
Loved this point and click, mostly because of the writing and the music. Really leans into the noir aspect of the title, and while most of the puzzles were pretty straight forward, I like that they threw in a bit of a head scratcher towards the end. Again, a very solid execution of a fun concept.
31:28, Completed

5: Creature Packets
Loved the aesthetic of this one and how grimy it felt in that little room. I'm glad the game didn't out-stay its welcome and went through each creature once, instead of more needless faffing about. I'd like to see the concept expanded into something with more depth, but as an initial taste, this was pretty rad.
18:58, Completed

4: What Never Was
Very impressive work for a simple little proof of concept, and I'm a sucker for these kinds of games anyway. I enjoyed the voice acting and the exploration elements a lot, while the puzzles were pretty straight forward.
33:17, Completed

3: LODGE
My own nomination, and happily one of my favourites as I love this kind of puzzle game where you get to explore and piece together all the bits along the way. Gave me Myst vibes, which is a very good thing... even if I needed a hint from chat =)
45:27, Completed

2: Off-Peak
I think I enjoyed this one more than anyone would possibly expect. It reminded me of games like BABBDI and Paradise Killer, which are both excellent in their own right, and this one brought about similar vibes with some cool world building and surprising moments along the way. I'm a little surprised by how much I enjoyed this to be honest.
48:10, Completed

1: The World Had Been Sad Since Tuesday
This one was probably always going to be my favourite, as it's a lovely and surreal take on a Gabriel Garcias Marquez story. That along is enough for me to fall in love with it, but I really enjoyed how the narrative played out and the simple progress through the tale. My favourite element of gaming in general is story-telling, and this was by far the best bit of story-telling this itchmas!
17:25, Completed

Howdy all 😁

This may be the last reminder to sign up for the 2025 season! All returning players need to create their publisher and all new players can sign up and also create their publisher.

Check this thread's previous posts for invite links and more details.

Hey everyone - it's that time of year again when we get close to crowning our 2024 champion, and when we organise everything for 2025!

It currently looks like we're in for a third win from @clumsypenguin, but there's always a chance and it ain't over 'til the final game releases! Don't forget to cash in those super drops if you have them, and use those counter-picks to avoid being penalised for leaving one empty.

Returning players:
If you have played in ANY of the previous league years, your username will be already listed on the 2025 league page. If you want to take part in 2025, all you need to do is create your publisher before the end of the year. Just login on the FCL site and visit this page to get yourself ready for the 2025 season.

New players:
If you have never taken part in previous seasons, you are more than welcome to take part and can do so by creating a free FCL account here. Once you have that sorted, come back here and click on this invite link, which will allow you to sign up for the 2025 season. Finally, you will need to create your publisher before the end of the year to secure your spot in the 2025 season.

Everyone:
- Sign ups will close at the end of the year (31st December 2024)
- Ensure you have created your publisher before sign-ups close.
- Anyone without a publisher at the end of the year will be removed from the league and unable to take part in the 2025 season.
- The 2025 draft will begin on 1st of January 2025.
- All league rules and settings are remaining the same as the 2024 season.

Of course, please feel free to ask questions if you have them, either in this thread, or in our Discord channel. I will repost the draft rules before the end of the year so keep an eye out, but otherwise please READ the highly informative posts on the forum thread, and/or watch some of the videos we already have out there.

On a more personal note, I have been very busy with work in recent times, so I apologise for not being as involved as in previous years, but it's been great to see everyone filling their rosters and still taking part. I'm really looking forward to a new season and seeing what hot games will come in 2025, but for now let's enjoy the rest of 2024 and see if anyone can possibly topple the carry-over champ!

I nominate Myst

my noms:

Wave to the People: itch / HLTB
LODGE: itch
From Orbit: itch / HLTB

I recently started listening to the podcast and am enjoying it immensely. I'm currently at episode 20 of season 2, so a long time to go still, but I must say I love the atmosphere and friendly banter amongst you all! I've started hearing Abotages voice thanks to the fantasy critic league segments, so already a bit prepped for season 3 :).

I've been using HLTB for quite a while to log my games (with some hiatuses), but I never knew there was such a fun community hiding in the forums. So the HLTB podcast is a great way to get new people into the forums too! (Although I'm still a bit lost at times with all the different threads going on).

Hey that's awesome - glad you're enjoying it =)

There are currently some future plans in the works so definitely stay tuned - it's a great community and there are many more voices to hear in later episodes!